Dogspiracy
In his heartfelt documentary, Paul Crompton uncovers the abuse suffered by puppies on both sides of the Atlantic in the name of profit.
Image courtesy of Bulldog Film Distribution.
There are two ways of looking at this documentary made by Paul Crompton. One is to consider how adept it is as a film made for cinema release and the other is to assess how much it is likely to appeal to viewers, most of whom will wholeheartedly support and embrace the concerns that it is expressing. Just what they are is neatly summed up by the title Dogspiracy which first appears in that form and then metamorphoses with the letter "s" in it turning into a dollar sign. From that it is not difficult to deduce that this is an attack on those who have turned puppy breeding into an industry and in the process have treated the animals concerned appallingly. This is something happening on what in the UK are known as puppy farms and in America as puppy mills and which exist to supply puppies to pet stores while caring nothing for the welfare of the dogs and puppies which they handle. It is characteristic of the trade that when a dog can no longer produce a litter it is likely to disposed of by the simple method of killing it.
It is no surprise that there are many activists around trying to get laws passed which will make this set-up illegal and at the centre of Dogspiracy is one such man, Dr Marc Abraham who is resident in Brighton. Concentrating partly on the UK but even more fully on America, Dr Abraham travels huge distances talking to fellow activists, veterinarians and politicians. The film invites us to accompany him and thus to become aware of the full horrors of the system and how unexpectedly difficult it is despite the cruelty patently involved to get remedial laws passed. As the film proceeds in a series of chapters, we learn of the Kept Animals Bill, an endeavour on these lines but incorporating other animal welfare provisions too, which ultimately fails in Westminster. Meanwhile, an equivalent approach in the USA known as Victoria's Law (named for a rescued German Shepherd) fares better in a few states but elsewhere faces hostility, not least in Pennsylvania which features prominently in this film. One of the most memorable sequences takes place there among the Amish community.
Given these circumstances the subject matter of Dogspiracy is well worth airing but I do find myself asking if a cinema feature is the most appropriate format and if Paul Crompton’s film handles it as capably as one would wish. Certainly, it brings out the profiteering and the suffering of puppies kept in cages restrictively small and deprived of contact with their mothers when they need nurturing. It also finds in Dr Abraham a knowledgeable guide. Nevertheless, I can't help feeling that a television programme on the subject lasting, say, an hour would have been a more apt form for it. At 98 minutes Dogspiracy ends up with rather more repetition of the points that it is making than it really needs and certainly far too many shots showing Abraham en route to various interviewees. Furthermore, on arrival he frequently introduces himself in a way which directly echoes scores of celebrity-fronted TV pieces but which is quite unnecessary here. When it comes to the unimaginative and overused background music, provided in this case by Pulse, it is admittedly a weakness that is just as often found in television pieces. However, Paul Crompton doesn't help matters by starting off his film with a series of brief scenes some of which will be seen again later. These bits and pieces, an ineffective preface, jump distractingly between London, Brighton, Wales and America. The film then moves on to Chapter 1 entitled “The Life of the Campaigner” but just before it starts Dr Abraham introduces himself to us in voice-over and it is immediately apparent that his clear-cut opening comments should have been used as the film’s starting point.
As a critic I found Dogspiracy no more than a passable documentary but it should, I believe, be acknowledged that the nature of the piece is such that any weaknesses will readily be forgiven by those who choose to view it. To forefront information about conditions prevalent in the sphere of puppy breeding for gain is as desirable as promoting the work done by rescue shelters which is also central here. Furthermore, whatever criticisms can validly be made about this film, there is no doubt at all that it boasts many touching images of the animals themselves whose facial expressions are as eloquent as any words expressed on their behalf.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Featuring Dr Marc Abraham, Tracy Pennycuick, Grace Kelly Herbert, Roger Gale, Rosie Duffield, Catherine Lucas, Eileen Jones, Dr Tim Schwab, Vanessa Waddon, Jeanne McNeil, Peter Egan.
Dir Paul Crompton, Exec Pro Jiří Tuček, Ph John Benam and Danny McGregor, Ed Michal Novák, Music Phase.
DonArt Production/Blue Eyes Film-Bulldog Film Distribution.
98 mins. UK. 2025. UK Rel: 1 August 2025. Cert. 12A.
